Kamaru Usman snaps skid, grinds out win over Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta

After nearly four years of struggles, Kamaru Usman returned to form on Saturday night, delivering a dominant performance that halted the momentum of a surging welterweight contender.

Usman (21-4 MMA, 16-3 UFC) relied on his wrestling roots to neutralize Joaquin Buckley (21-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) over five rounds, earning a unanimous decision victory in the main event of UFC on ESPN 69 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.

The win ended a three-fight skid for Usman, which began with his 2021 title loss to Leon Edwards. He fell to Edwards again in a rematch and later lost a middleweight bout to Khamzat Chimaev in 2023. Buckley, who entered as the betting favorite on a six-fight win streak, couldn’t find a way past Usman’s relentless grappling.

Just 30 seconds into the opening round, Usman shot for a takedown. Though Buckley resisted briefly, Usman secured the takedown within the first minute and smothered him against the cage for over four minutes, landing short punches and elbows from half-guard.

In the second round, Usman waited for an opening before shooting again. Following some striking exchanges, he executed another deep shot and grounded Buckley, who again had no effective response on the mat.

Midway through the third, Buckley showed some urgency with a flurry of strikes. But Usman quickly reverted to his wrestling, scoring a third takedown in four attempts. From there, he controlled the round from top position, landing ground-and-pound from full mount.

Rounds four and five followed a similar pattern. Buckley pushed for a finish in the final minutes, knowing he needed a stoppage, but Usman stayed composed, used his grappling to nullify the threat, and closed out the fight with another strong showing on the mat.

It was a vintage performance from the former champion—methodical, dominant, and a clear signal that Kamaru Usman is far from done.